Apple Butter Sheet Cake

Sheet cakes are nice because you can have a 

smaller piece of cake without having to cut such a large piece.
They are easy to transport to potlucks and holiday dinners at someone else's house.
And they come in a variety of flavors...

chocolate, vanilla, pumpkin, white chocolate....
the list is long.

If someone asks me to bring a dessert,
a sheet cake is usually one of the first recipes I think of.

I took a recipe for spice cake and played with it a bit,

then came up with this one.
I looked on the internet to see if there was another sheet cake by the same name and I couldn't find one. So, here's to hoping I have invented the first

Apple Butter Sheet Cake!

(since posting this recipe, I have found that someone else has decided to claim this recipe as her own. She claims that she made it up herself. I hate it when that happens, but in this case....apparently she really enjoyed the cake....
so I'll just take it as a compliment!)

ENJOY!

Apple Butter Sheet Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Apple butter

In a medium size bowl, cream shortening and sugar together.

Add egg and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

(approx 5 minutes)
In another medium bowl, sift together all other ingredients except buttermilk and apple butter.

Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.

Add apple butter and mix until all ingredients are combined and batter is smooth.

Pour in to a greased jelly roll pan

Bake at 325* for 25 - 30 minutes, or until done.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer.
With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the vanilla until combined.